Frieze London

Stephen Friedman Gallery is pleased to bring together new paintings by British artists Caroline Walker and Clare Woods for Frieze London. The presentation explores how these two women artists take on the role of observer in their work.

Walker is known for her paintings that examine the diverse social, cultural and economic experiences of women living in contemporary society. In this new series, the artist continues to explore the overlooked jobs performed by women, focusing on workers in her daughter Daphne’s nursery in 2022 when the artist still lived in London. Whilst these scenes are rooted in personal experience, the paintings are also universally relatable. Rendered in luscious, expressive brushstrokes, Palette Preparation captures a teacher squeezing paint into a container for Daphne. Both subjects appear seemingly unaware of the viewer’s presence, heightening the sense of voyeurism that permeates much of the artist’s work. The paintings are united by a bright colour palette, reflecting the visually stimulating environment of the classroom.

Writing about this body of work, Walker explains: “The fact that the paintings were made two years after the source photos were taken further emphasises an aspect of this subject that interests me – the fleeting nature of this important time in children’s young lives (many of the nursery pupils I painted will now be at school). The special relationships formed between nursery worker and child are so important to the series. These relationships can be very close and act as a stand-in for parental care, but they are short-lived – the child moves on and another takes their place. In these paintings though, this moment is frozen in time.” 

Clare Woods shares Walker’s interest in documenting everyday subjects, with both using their own photography to inform their work. Woods’ recent paintings have been preoccupied with destabilising traditional art historical genres such as portraiture, landscape and – as seen in this body of work – still life. 

Woods’ new series depicts grand stone planters overflowing with foliage, drawing on photographs taken by the artist in Regent’s Park, London, twenty years ago. Combining oil and resin to “make the paint move”, the artist adjusts colour and tone through the weight of her brush as a sculptor might manipulate clay. Each work captures a static image, forcing the viewer to stop, observe and look anew at seemingly banal objects. Through this act of slowing down, Woods reveals the significance of gardens and parks in connecting us with nature in a fast-paced world. During the research for this series, she also began to notice the intrusive presence of weeds in London, comparing their resilience and adaptability with our own existence. Despite occupying a lowly position in art history, Woods deploys still life as a unique way to shed light on the human condition.